THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10. 2013
PAGE 3B
SOCCER
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Kansas faces off against San Diego in the USD Tournament in California on Aug. 28, 2011. The Jayhawks won 2-1.
Jayhawks look for first Big 12 victory against Horned Frogs
STELLA LIANG
sliang@kansan.com
The season has been like a roller coaster for the Kansas soccer team. As soon as it seems like the lajhawks have become more consistent or have momentum on their side, they can't seem to find a way to score. This streak has continued on to the conference play, as the lajhawks have remained scoreless through their first two Big 12 matches. The result is a 0-1-1 conference record, with a loss to Texas and a tie with Iowa State.
Friday, Kansas will host the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs at home for a chance to earn its first conference victory. Kansas is currently in sixth place, while TCU is tied for seventh. Coach Mark Francis stressed the importance of winning home conference games, and said earning a victory Friday, Kansas only game this weekend, is essential.
"We've put all our energy into the one game!" Francis said. "I thought we played really well on Sunday. We just have to be a little more efficient in the attacking third."
TCU (4-6-3, 0-2-1) is also winless,
and scoreless, in the conference season. TCU tied with Oklahoma State after two overtime periods during their last match. The Horned Frogs had 20 shots in that game, with four on goal. Junior goalkeeper Vittoria Arnold had five saves in the game and has an overall save percentage of 72.5 percent.
The Horned Frogs have been shut out in six matches this season. Their scoring leader is freshman forward Michelle Prokof, with six goals this season. She has taken 26 shots, which is 23 percent of the teams total. In TCU's last victory, which was on Sept. 22 against Central Arkansas, Prokof scored three times.
"I think it's a good matchup" Francis said. "They are definitely more athletic than they were last year. They're very organized, extremely feisty. We have to come out and compete."
Kansas' last victory was also on Sept. 22, against Illinois State. The team's last goal came against Santa Clara on Sept. 27. With 16 minutes left in the match, sophomore midfielder Liana Salazar scored the goal off a free kick. Salazar is second on the team with three goals, and senior
forward Caroline Kastor is first with four.
"This Friday is going to come down to being more technical, more clinical," Kastor said. "I think just playing with our heart and wanting it more than TCU. Especially in the Big 12, that's the difference between each team, who wants it more. We definitely have the ability to do it, we just need to execute."
Despite being shut out the last two matches, the Jayhawks have had opportunities to score. In the last match against Texas, one of the best opportunities was off the head of sophomore midfielder Hanna Kallmaier. During a corner kick, Kallmaier sent a header that hit the left goal post.
Kansas is not lacking in shots. Junior midfielder Jamie Fletcher has had 40 shots so far, Salazar has 35 and Kastor has 34. Each of these players are in the top 10 in the Big 12 in number of shots taken.
Kansas will match up against TCU at 4 p.m. on Friday at home.
- Edited by Hannah Barling
NFL
Bears, Giants prepare to face off amid recent losses
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Chicago Bears have two reasons to be in a nasty mood - consecutive losses to Detroit and New Orleans.
The Giants have five reasons to be ornery — defeats in every game so far this season.
New York is 0-5 for the first time since the 1987 strike-interrupted season, and on merit. The Giants can't protect Eli Manning, who has been looking around for where the rush is coming almost as much as he's been concentrating on receivers downfield. New York already has 20 turnovers, on pace to set a humiliating league record, and Manning has been picked 12 times. Plus, the Giants can't run the ball, and their only real threat at running back, David Wilson, won't play Thursday night because of a neck problem.
On defense, the Giants rank 26th and can't manufacture a pass rush. The secondary has been a mess and is ravaged by injuries. Not a pretty picture.
"You just keep working and keep
"You just keep working and keep trying to improve and find out the mistakes I'm making and correct those."
can do better, get everybody on the same page — and how do you fix those mistakes?] Just have a positive attitude and keep working, knowing that we can get to play at a better level."
trying to improve and find out the mistakes I'm making and correct those," Manning said. "If there are mistakes within the offense that are mental, if there are things we
ELI MANNING Giants quarterback
Chicago's level hasn't been very high since winning its first three games. It can't have helped the Bears' mindset that top receiver Brandon Marshall complained about not seeing the ball enough after teammate Alshon jeffery set a Bears record with 218 yards receiving.
"Two weeks ago in Detroit, we didn't take care of the football," first-year coach Marc Trestman said. "We moved the football, but didn't take care of the football. Our defense turned it over for us and we didn't take advantage of that." "Last week, we had a poor start. We weren't consistent throughout the game."
NHL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Steen's late goal lifts Blues over Chicago Blackhawks
ST. LOUIS — Alexander Steen's slap shot with 21.1 seconds remaining beat Chicago goalie Corey Crawford and gave the St. Louis Blues a 3-2 win over the Blackhawks on Wednesday night. Steen broke down the left side as part of a 3-on-1 rush. He kept the puck and let go a drive from just inside the circle that trickled through Crawford.
St. Louis Blues' David Backes scores against the Blackhawks on Oct. 9
The Blues (3-0) matched their best start to a season, also done in the 1969-70 and 1993-94 campaigns. Jaroslav Halak made 26 saves in his third straight win. Vladimir Tarasenko and David Backes also scored for St. Louis. Patrick Kane scored for the third straight game for the Blackhawks, and Jonathan Toews had the other Chicago goal. Crawford made 31 saves.